IST at Costco?

[Gombessa]

I doubt it. People often buy gear without any certification --for example, some people buy gear before taking lessons on vacation. I'm pretty sure they will sell to anyone with cash or plastic.

Jeff

Good point. I imagine the average Costco shopper wouldn't have a c-card on them all the time either, which would really hamper the impulse buys, especially if the display is temporary.

If the kiosk is around this weekend, I'll ask the rep.

 

[rstofer]

If Costco finds out they can OWN the scuba business by just displacing a bunch of low profit LDSs, we probably better get on board. It'll work for me!

Richard

 

[KBeck]

However, if COSTCO is selling regulators to the masses. The liability the company has opened itself up to is massive. If some was to become injured or killed using scuba equipment purchased at a supermarket/warehouse without having proof of proper certification...show me the money! I would be interested in knowing the details of who made the decision to stock any type of scuba regs at Costco.

I love how it seems to be a common assumption that scuba gear is the ONLY dangerous item a mass retailer could sell that could result in lawsuits......
Let's see, off the top of my head, Costco sells:
--houseplants, often poisonous: how many people know that that nice philodendron they're bringing home is poisonous and could kill little Billy or Jane or Fido?
--Peanut butter: Oops, you'd better get a physician to check whether you're allergic to that 5 lb. vat of PB before you're allowed to go through the checkout line.
--Rat poison: duh.
--chicken/eggs--every item of poultry must be personally tested for salmonella before the buyer is allowed out the front doors.

In other words, it doesn't matter what's being sold or who's selling it---the buyer has reasonable liability for knowing whether they're able to safely use or consume the purchased item. The distributor can't absorb every bit of liability.

 

[ItsBruce]

I'll bet that all you need is your COSTCO card.

Don't knock the card. When people ask me for picture id, like when I cash a check, I've started presenting my Costco card. So far, only the bank where I was opening a new account rejected it. I expect TSA will, too. (Note: I've started using my Costco card because my wife gets mad when I use my C-card.)

 

[Stu S.]

I would welcome Costco SCUBA, but... would major SCUBA manufacturers go along? I doubt it.

The worst day of the manufacturing year is when big retailers negotiate what they will pay for your products. Sears and Wal Mart will hit you hard. Sears beat their hand tool supplier, Easco, right out of business. Wal Mart expects a supplier to build a large finished goods inventory, held until their trucks show up. Your manufactuing plant becomes an extension of them.

Even the "big" SCUBA gear companies are small potatoes in the retail world. They would rather sell through small distributors or to little dive stores. The fear of being squashed like a bug by a retail giant is probably too great.

 

[deepstops]

Wal Mart expects a supplier to build a large finished goods inventory, held until their trucks show up. Your manufactuing plant becomes an extension of them.

And if you can't manufacture it cheap enough in the USA, Wal-Mart will help you set-up manufacturing in China. Just ask the folks at Royal Industries (who make the Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner line). For 85+ years, their products were made in Ohio until they signed a "deal with the devil" (no pun intended).

 

[vjanelle]

As my LDS said "you can buy all the gear you want without a c-card, but we won't fill your tanks."

 

[Tigerman]

But thats np.. theres plenty of places that will
Come to think of It I never actually SHOWED my c-card to get an air fill.. Everywhere Ive gotten a fill has talked to me about diving before filling the tank or while filling it though.

 

[rstofer]

I would welcome Costco SCUBA, but... would major SCUBA manufacturers go along? I doubt it.

On a much smaller scale, the cater to Leisure Pro. Don't try to tell me that they aren't selling direct.

If it means increased volume or increased market share, of course they'll deal with Costco. Heck, they could even get in the training business if they wanted. One positive outcome: training will be of a much higher quality because they have people to wander around and be certain it is.

PADI talks about quality but do they ever send a ringer out to take a class from some instrucotor? Probably not! In a perfect world, they would evaluate every instructor, annually. After all, from the student's point of view, the instructor IS PADI. I don't mean to single out PADI (although they are the elephant in the living room), I doubt that any agency has a serious quality control program.

Richard

 

[rstofer]

According to Walmart, their average customer's income is below the national average of about $50k. See Wal-Mart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia about half way down under Customer base.

The average annual household income for Costco customers is $85k. See Driving Past the Costco - MarketBeat - WSJ

Those Costco customers have money to spend!

Richard